Alex Morgan’s tea-sipping celebration was a storm in a teacup but it’ll still have most of the world hoping the United States lose the Women’s World Cup final.
Americans don’t do good manners under a global spotlight.
It’s not a cliché to suggest as much, it’s simply an acknowledgement of hundreds of years of world history.
It’s why Serena Williams – quite possibly the most self-absorbed tennis player of all time – can elicit groans of astonishment when she admits she has no idea the current world number one is unassuming Aussie battler Ash Barty.
As Australians we’re baffled by such ignorance, but to a citizen of a nation obsessed with the concept of American exceptionalism, the idea of looking beyond one’s own borders no doubt seems equally ludicrous.
It’s why Morgan’s tea-sipping celebration was as confusing as it was contentious.
Many assumed it was a reference to the Boston Tea Party – a pivotal event in the creation of the United States as a nation, but one that took place back in 1773 – however Morgan was quick to downplay the suggestion.
“I know Megan Rapinoe has the best celebration,” Morgan told reporters after the USA’s controversial 2-1 semi-final win over England.
“I had to try and step up this game.”
No one even seems to be sure of what she said next. Several different versions were reported, but it seems to have been some iteration of “and that’s the tea”.
And guess what? None of it actually matters.
History shows that Jill Ellis’ team was too good for England and that’s why they’ll take on the Netherlands in Monday morning’s (AEST) final in Lyon.
“Wah wah wah” was fellow striker Rapinoe’s succinct response to the criticism of Morgan’s celebration.
Good for her.
Anyone who doesn’t care for such sentiment can always train for a decade, get good enough to make a national team, reach a World Cup final and then say whatever’s on their mind.
But equally – and this is where a keyboard critic like myself comes in – if you’re performing in the public eye then you’re fair game for the critiques that come with it.
That’s something a few of the Matildas may need to learn if the allegations some of them felt above criticism during their World Cup campaign are true.
However, simply just talking about some of these issues is a roundabout acknowledgement of one of the defining aspects of this World Cup.
Namely that the vast majority of fans tuning in long ago stop obsessing about the fact it’s a tournament being played by women.
This has been one of the most exciting World Cups in recent memory – male or female.
Yes, VAR has been a predictable nightmare and it’s true the standard of football has been a lot higher in some games than others.
But both of those problems exist in the men’s game and the sheer exhilaration of the football on offer in France has far outweighed such negatives.
As impressive as the last World Cup in Canada was, it could be argued the 2019 version is the first women’s tournament to have truly crashed its way into the mainstream conscience.
So it is that a worldwide viewing audience in the millions will tune into the World Cup final between reigning champions the USA and underdogs the Netherlands.
It’s a win-win situation for those who’d like to see female role models grace the pantheons of world sport and those of us who simply want to watch some football.
And the Americans can say whatever they want.
The rest of the world may find them rude, loud and arrogant but come Monday morning we might also find them to be back-to-back World Cup winners.
They’ve helped make this World Cup one of the most exciting on record.
But they shouldn’t be surprised when the cries of “Hup, Holland, Hup!” ring out from the rest of us neutrals.
Roger Dahlgren
Guest
Hey, Tuckerman, I hope you write a story about truly rude behavior at a sporting event, and by one of our own. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nick-kyrgios-rogers-cup-outburst-towel
Liam Cahill
Guest
So you think "Rude, loud and arrogant" are compliments? Wow. Most people in society find such comments as insults. My post was pointing out that your accusation of the Americans having too much exuberance was a US athletic thing, worthy of pointing out in your title. I found this hypocritical when one considers Aussie athletes actions around the world. The actual main difference between most American athletes and our Australian athletes is that the former are far more often world champions.
me
Guest
And beat Thailand by 13 goals more than the Socceroos can.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Your entire comment. I called the Americans winners but you seemed to think I was criticising them?
Liam Cahill
Guest
Eh what? What was hard to grasp?
Larry Daniels
Guest
How'd that "Meidrmeir for Holland CAN get between the US defenders" work out? 2-0, Dutch one shot on goal the entire game.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Eh?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I was only just watching a Keith Moon doco on youtube.
Redondo
Roar Rookie
A Pete Townshend windmill would work well
Punter
Roar Rookie
You may want to define class, the Chelsea teams when he won there early on had a lot of class, the Real Madrid sides were also pretty classy, they did come up against the best club side ever in the Messi, Xavi & Inesita led Barcelona sides. He won Champions league with Porto & Inter Milan with lesser sides then others in that competition. It was his last year with Chelsea & then Man U that they played dreadful football.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Well there we may differ. Teams under the coaching styles of Mr Mourinho often lack a certain amount of class. They may be winners but it often has an empty feel about it as winning is the only good thing about the performance.
Chris Cote
Guest
Oddsides is like drowning in water. It doesn't matter how deep the water is, if it's already deep enough to drown, and it doesn't matter how far off sides you are, if you're off sides. The US has scored 24 goals and had three scored on them, all in the knock rounds (1 by Spain, 1 by France, 1 by England). The US has also had two goals called back for offsides in the knock out. The PK against the US in England's favor was laughable, at best. Point, every team has had challenges, and the US has continued to march on. They've scored a goal in the first 12 minutes of every game this entire WWC. That's never happened before. The US should handily defeat a Netherlands that has not been able to score at near the rate the US has, Netherlands having generally far weaker opponent. The Netherlands have scored 11 goals and conceded 4. That will be a problem against the US, which has far better defence than any team they've seen, and far better offense. US will win by 2.
Liam Cahill
Guest
So celebrations are a problem for you, but Sam Kerr's "suck it" comment, and the Matilda's inability to be reviewed or slammed for their bad play isn't nearly as big an issue? You point to two examples of "American exceptionalism" in sports and make this a blanket, general statement? Condemn the whole country? Do you actually think Australians are not arrogant about Australia? Australia centric? Are the Americans the only people offending others I sport? You are quick to forget the Tayla Harris sistuation, aren't you? How many times has Nick Kyrgios done something stupid for the world to see? Usually it's at least once per year for the past 5. Quade Cooper come to mind? Bernard Tomic? Israel Folau? Michael Clarke? Nathan Lyon? Hell, America has reason to dislike Oz itself. Aussie Jacqui Melksham virtually rigged a game between Brazil and the US in the 2011 Women's World Cup, as denoted in the story below. It a tea sipping gesture or celebrating 13 goals in one game is bad, what is telling critical fans and media in Australia to "suck it" considered? Our captain did that. Let that sink in. The truth is, Aussie athletes should be more like Americans. After all, wouldn't the Matildas, and their fans, rather be playing tomorrow in a World Cup Final, in Americas boots? In end end, your story is more arrogant than any tea cup celebration by a female athlete who's a World Champion and Gold Medalist. She was at least caught up in the moment, while you had time to re-read, and think it over, before pushing post on this story. https://larrybrownsports.com/soccer/referee-jacqui-melksham-made-several-controversial-calls-that-almost-cost-u-s/76634
anon
Roar Pro
It's not just the women's soccer team, but look at Serena Williams. She's very American in her behaviour. No-one else in the world has behaviour so dysfunctional (apart from Tomic and Krygios).
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I find the articles about this sexist, it seems men are the only ones allowed to celebrate goals. Are they really that arrogant or maybe on part with an average mens team. Against Thailand was it a bit over top but it is at a world cup, and against a team that drew 2-2 against Australia, most of that is due to the incompetence of Australias coaches, remember it was Stanjic supposedly a super coach that they drew under. So they beat a team that drew with one of what they though was a major threat considering Kerr has engineered so many incredible hat tricks in the best womens league in the world in the NSWL.
Ad-O
Guest
It's a pretty long bow to suggest that this women's world cup has been better than the men's in 2018. It's basically been an exercise for determining which team is going to lose to the Americans in the final. It was pretty much the same 4 years ago, and could you really see past them handing out an absolute hiding to the Dutch like they did to the Japanese 4 years ago. As for their personality, who cares. Australians could be viewed as arrogant in much the same way TBF. Anyone who's spent any time in the US realises that they are genuine people, friendly and polite to a fault, but also prone to listen to their own BS. Just like any other country.
Sideline Eye
Guest
Don't forget Anthony MUNDANE.
Freddie
Guest
The Aussies are world champions at arrogance & rudeness. Has everyone forgotten Arnie’s “We’re going to dominate them” speech before a ball had been kicked at the Asian Cup? The cricket team is the most reviled in the world, the tennis players (Kyrgios, Tomic) thoroughly unlikable. I don’t think Australia is in any position to be claiming the moral high ground.
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Rude, loud & arrogant. David Warner?
Simoc
Guest
I like the way the American woman are playing. And if you give a stuff about celebrations, you're stupid. They took on England as usual and straight away the Poms were on the defensive. England attacked Italy from the start and played great and with confidence. But against USA that confidence seemed to have vaporised before the start. They can play as well as the Americans but only showed glimpses of that in the semi. I think the Yanks have the other teams psyched out along with some outstanding players. They expect to win and go about it in that manner. The others don't.